


RatShack Cowboy AU

by Yormp



Category: Shack Cowboy AU
Genre: Blood, Character Death, Cowboys, doctory stuff, gunslingin, the Lazy L saloon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 10:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29997693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yormp/pseuds/Yormp
Summary: Just RatShack but cowboys. It’s a collection of one shots.





	RatShack Cowboy AU

Piano music and laughter roars out from the open doors of the Lazy L as Seamus stands in the middle of the moonlit street. All is dark except for the faint light from the moon, and her newly acquired saloon. She has no hat, no good boots, and she has no firearm. But the bottoms of her pant legs are muddy, and her everything is covered in dust. 

“You know, I never could have foreseen you climbin’ out of that grave I dug you,” says the sheriff, her spurs clanking as she takes long strides towards the other woman, taking in her appearance. “That bullet didn’t miss you… did it?”

Seamus growls, her throat dry, “you hit Mims.” 

“Oh,” the sheriff seems bothered very little by this, “well it seems I’d‘ve been doing Odessa a favor by doin’ that.” 

The sheriff places a hand on her gun as Seamus turns to limp off towards the Lazy L, she won’t win a fight like this. Her firearm was ruined by that pit, when she watched Mims die. Their horses were killed, and she barely made it back to town. And now the sheriff could just shoot her like some mangy dog in the street. 

“I could do Odessa another favor right here and now,” she calls. But she does nothing, just watching Seamus limp to the saloon. 

…

A group of cowboys are playing cards in the Lazy L. They’ve been playing for hours and two of them just can’t seem to lose much. Eventually the two show their hands and they’ve both got the exact same ace. This causes them both to stand up and start shouting that the other is cheating, and they draw their guns. 

“Hey! If you’re gonna fight ya better take it to the street! Outta my saloon,” Seamus yells at the two cowboys who just pulled their guns on each other. They promptly holster their weapons and Seamus says, “yeah, that’s what I thought,” before turning to the city boy in front of her. “How long have you been in town?” It’s the rare occasion that she’s behind the bar, and she’s dressed in full cowboy garb. 

“Oh, I’ve been here a while. I’ve got a good practice up and going. I’m mostly here to see the west,” he says. 

“Got a name, city boy?”

“Rutherford, and I’m a do-“ 

“Nice to meet ya buddy, I’m Seamus, I own the Lazy L. If ya ever need anything I’m usually upstairs or nowhere to be found,” she chuckles a bit at this. Seamus clearly sees something in this city slicker. 

…

It’s dark again, and it smells like rain. Seamus wakes up screaming, and kicking and clawing at the blankets on her. But there’s no dirt, and there’s no rain water washing Mims’ blood away.

…

The sheriff walks in and the saloon falls quiet. The Lazy L has never been known to hold the most law abiding of people but there’s an agreement that you follow the law while you’re in the saloon. 

“I haven’t done anything, Sheriff,” Seamus says behind her glass and red tinted glasses, “so why are you in my saloon? Lord knows you only come here when you’re looking for trouble.” 

“I’d say you’re well over due a visit.” 

Seamus takes her feet off of the table in front of her, gently letting her chair down from how far she had it tilted back, and nearly slammed her glass on the table. “The last impromptu visit ended with two shallow graves, sheriff.” 

The sheriff gives a shark-esqe smile, “I remember one of those being yours.” 

The patrons begin to get a little uncomfortable right as Seamus says, “I think we should take this outside.” Her hand comes to rest on her gun. 

“Yes, I think we should,” says the sheriff as she goes to lead the way. 

Soon they’re in the dirt. Seamus stands there facing the sheriff, her pants free of dust and mud, in the light from the doors of the Lazy L. There’s no moon tonight…

…

Seamus fought tooth and nail to get out of that god forsaken shallow grave only for her to find her mentor, Mims, half buried in another and bleeding out. 

She sways on her feet and falls to her knees, crawling the few feet left between her and Mims. Once she reaches the shallow grave she tries to dig with her hands, but Mims grabs her wrists. 

“No.”

“I can- I can save you. Mims please. Let me save you- Mims-“

“You can’t, Seamus, don’t waste our time,” she says, her voice is already quiet and it’s slowly fading. 

Seamus can’t find it in her to say anything again. She just looks into her mentor’s eyes. Takes in her face. 

“I want you to take the Lazy L, keep it safe. And,” she coughs, cutting herself off. “Kill that damned sheriff.” 

It starts raining as Mims stops responding. 

…

What little light there is in the street just barely shows the cold and serious look on Seamus’ face. The sheriff is only a few paces away, going on about upholding the law in a lawless land. Upholding order in a godless town. 

“Shut up and shoot at me already,” Seamus hisses. 

“Gladly,” says the sheriff. She chuckles, maybe this time the Lazy L will actually be hers. 

… 

The sun is soaring high, and the heat can been seen through the air. 

Bang!   
Plink.

“So, if you keep a steady hand and focus you can shoot just about anything,” Mims says to Seamus, who’s got her butt in the dirt and is making some sort of sculpture out of sticks and tiny tumbleweeds. “Oh good god! Seamus, get out of the dirt. Come on and take a few shots.” 

“Okay, okay,” she starts to stand and dust herself off, “I’m coming. I’m coming.” 

Mims hands her the gun and tells her to just focus and aim. 

Bang! 

“Take another shot, shoot until you hit it or run out of bullets, but don’t just fly through them. Adjust what you’re doing.” 

Bang! 

…

The sheriff takes a few steps back, “I’m in no way making this fair, I just don’t want any of you to splatter on me.” She grabs her gun and goes to shoot.

Seamus knows what comes next. 

Ban- Bang! 

Seamus yelps as a bullet lands in her right shoulder.

…

Bang!   
Plink.

“Yes! I got it!”

“Alright, kid! Now hit something moving.”

“You’re kidding me…”

…

Seamus stumbles back as the sheriff falls face down into the dirt. She gives a painful sounding laugh, “I really am a shitty shot!” 

Instead of lingering on the dead or dying woman in the street, that she shot, Seamus returns to the Lazy L, holding her shoulder and hissing in pain when it gets jostled. 

By the time she makes it to the stairs blood has seeped into her vest and is dripping past her hand, leaving a small trail up the stairs and to her room. 

Seamus frees herself from her vest and shirt as best she can without making her shoulder worse, she’s down to her pants and undergarments. She rips a sheet up and tightly wraps it around her shoulder before collapsing into bed and staring at the ceiling. 

… 

There’s a pounding on her door when she’s aware of her surroundings again. A small “ugh! I’m just going to go in!” is all she gets before the door is suddenly flung open. 

It takes Rutherford a solid minute before he realizes Seamus is shirtless, to which she responds by averting his eyes and throwing a blanket over her while still having access to her arm. He opens up her medical bag, now being more comfortable with the situation, and gets to work. 

Seamus tries to kick him when he goes to dig the bullet out of her shoulder, “fuckin- ugh!” She doesn’t exactly hit where she was aiming for but she hits him in the leg. 

“Okay, stop. Don’t kick at me,” Ruth says. “The worse you are the worse this will hurt.” 

“Wow, you’re smart,” Seamus says before completely clocking out again. 

“Yeah well I’m a doctor,” he looks back down at her, “aaand, she’s out. Oh well.” 

…


End file.
